Levy appointment a band aid on health crisis

Appointing Dr Lester Levy to lead all of Auckland’s district health boards will not fix Auckland’s health problems if the Minister can’t get the funding right, says Labour’s Health spokesperson Annette King.

“I question whether the new ‘super’ chair of the three DHBs will lead to the best possible care as the Minister has claimed.

“Having an unelected chair to run these DHBs will not fix the problem that has been created by the $1.7 billion dollar hole in health funding. A large part of those missing funds would have been spent in this region.

“It is also important that the Minister makes sure his ‘super’ chair allows the Counties Manukau DHB to continue their integrated care and social programmes.

“I also want the new chair to pick up the challenge and back a renegotiation of the failed Compass food contract. With only six DHBs signing up, they are being dragged down with rising costs and the loss of local producers.

“The Minister now needs to be up front about his ultimate agenda for the country’s DHBs,” says Annette King.